 February 4th: Orcas and wine
We aimed in the direction of Tekapo, It's a long way 300km. We drove south of Kaikoura. At Goose Bay we stopped. It look really pretty. A lone seal was on the rocks about 30 metres away. Something caught our gaze. A huge fin protruding out of the water. A man nearby fishing shouts at us - the fin [see pic page 6] belongs to an Orca whale. What a chance encounter!
We stopped at Cheviot for some Blue nose fish and chips and carry on to Waipara - wine tasting region. It would be rude not to stop and try some. The Mudhouse vineyard sampled us some great wines.
We drove though Christchurch, the most architecturally exciting city that we had seen and it felt like the largest so far with many suburbs. We smiled at the names Beckenham, Bromley, Charing Cross to name but a few that were familiar. Lost we were looking for the 73a and then the SH1 towards Ashburn and onto Geraldine.
Back on track we drove through Fairlie the gateway to Mackenzie country. Named after a 18th century sheep rustler. This is remote countryside with many sheep stations.
We drove up a steep hill which at the peak revealed the view over Lake Tekapo - unrealistically turquoise with snow capped mountains in the distance.
It was a cold, crisp night. The sun was setting as we found Lake Tekapo Holday Park an exceptionally pretty and peaceful location with stunning views across the glacially fed lake.
February 5th: Lake side chill out
We awoke to crystal blue skies. The sun was scorching hot but with a fresh, gentle breeze coming in from the lake to cool us.
After we had visited the tiny town of Tekapo we decided it was far to relaxing to anything other than relax. We went back to the campervan which looked out over the lake, so peaceful.
Martin rustled up another signature chili as the sun set and turned the lake into a liquid pool of gold.
After dinner we walked along the edge of the lake, returning when it was virtually dark. The moon hung over the lake, a massive silver ball and created long sleek moon shadows and an electric silver dagger reflection in the water.
February 6th: Helicopter and Mount Cook
Another vast, clear blue sky greeted us. Into town we went to book a trip with Scenic Helicopters to fly over and around Mount Cook.
We had lunch at the Observatory Cafe and then drove to the Mount Cook Salmon Farm, 12km south of Tekapo. Scenic Helicopters are based at the Salmon Farm.
We followed the private road that contoured the vivid turquoise canal and 12km later arrived at the helicopter and met our pilot and English man called Steve, plus another passenger Richard. Steve gave us a talk about helicopters do's and don'ts and we climbed in. There was a brief moment when, being a claustrophobic kind of girl, that I was unsure about the prospect of weaving in and out of mountain peaks in something the size of a Tupperware bowl. But I gave myself a swift talking to and before I knew it we were up and away.
Twisting and turning we climbed up. Soon the landscape was no longer something that I could relate to, but a series of textures and patterns. To distract myself from the fear of certain death in something so small and wobbly, I took loads of pics.
Mount Cook loomed up on our left as we swooped in and out of the mountain peaks. We circled to land on a snow field, that from the air looked the size of a postage stamp. Iridescent blue trickles become glacial rivers as we wobbled down to land on the snow.
We walked around on the crunchy ice and snow, gazed at the mountains and took in lung full's of the cold mountain air.
After about 10 minutes we had to go. We climbed back into the heli and hovered up, slaloming in and out of the peaks once again. In the distance I see the bizarre colour of Lake Pukaki. The same colour as Lake Tekapo. The colour is the product of 'rock flour' or sediment in the water from glaciers rubbing the basin of the lake as they drift past.
We soon touched down and we stopped for a drink at the Salmon Farm to reflect and try and take in what we had seen. |
